Bobcats Solve TE Dilemna
8/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sean Kelley woke up Sunday morning as a freshman defensive lineman with plans to redshirt this season. He went to bed as a varsity tight end.
“When they first told me that, my jaw dropped,” Kelley said of the decision of the MSU coaching staff to move him from defensive end to tight end. He was informed after practice on Sunday afternoon. “It’s definitely a motivator.”
“Two of the most pleasant surprises in camp this fall have been Sean Kelley and Nick Gilchrist,” a pair of freshmen defensive walk-on defensive linemen from Great Falls, said MSU coach Mike Kramer. “Those two have played very, very well. They’ve impressed our coaching staff as much as any walk-on we’ve had here.”
The departure of freshman Sean McDonough left the Bobcats with only two tight ends, necessitating Kelley’s move. He is now on “redshirt alert” status, similar to that which center Zach Wolf occupied last season. Kelley will redshirt in all likelihood, but will remain with the varsity all season. In the case of an emergency, such as an injury to one of MSU’s two varsity tight ends, Blake Wolf and Jason Goodman, Kelley would be activated.
A tight end during his sophomore year at Great Falls High, Kelley also played the position during the MonDak All-Star Game this summer. “I think with any position, once you play it it’s like riding a bike,” he said. “When the coaches tell me to step a certain way, I can already tell what I’m supposed to do.”
The transition won’t necessarily be easy for Kelley, who spent most of Monday’s practice on the sideline watching. “I’m trying to learn the plays,” he said. “We were supposed to have the night off on Sunday, but I spent three hours in the football office trying to learn everything.”
“When they first told me that, my jaw dropped,” Kelley said of the decision of the MSU coaching staff to move him from defensive end to tight end. He was informed after practice on Sunday afternoon. “It’s definitely a motivator.”
“Two of the most pleasant surprises in camp this fall have been Sean Kelley and Nick Gilchrist,” a pair of freshmen defensive walk-on defensive linemen from Great Falls, said MSU coach Mike Kramer. “Those two have played very, very well. They’ve impressed our coaching staff as much as any walk-on we’ve had here.”
The departure of freshman Sean McDonough left the Bobcats with only two tight ends, necessitating Kelley’s move. He is now on “redshirt alert” status, similar to that which center Zach Wolf occupied last season. Kelley will redshirt in all likelihood, but will remain with the varsity all season. In the case of an emergency, such as an injury to one of MSU’s two varsity tight ends, Blake Wolf and Jason Goodman, Kelley would be activated.
A tight end during his sophomore year at Great Falls High, Kelley also played the position during the MonDak All-Star Game this summer. “I think with any position, once you play it it’s like riding a bike,” he said. “When the coaches tell me to step a certain way, I can already tell what I’m supposed to do.”
The transition won’t necessarily be easy for Kelley, who spent most of Monday’s practice on the sideline watching. “I’m trying to learn the plays,” he said. “We were supposed to have the night off on Sunday, but I spent three hours in the football office trying to learn everything.”
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